Speckle: The Only Open Source Solution For 3D Data

Introduction

The Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry is fragmented and dominated by large vendor monopolies, and it’s extremely slow in its growth and evolution. The pace of innovation does not match the evolution and productivity gains seen in other industries.

Most importantly, companies- Architects, Engineers and Designers- are locked out of the value of their own data they produce- it’s locked into proprietary file formats and in closed vendor clouds. This severely limits competition and, consequently, sets the digital future of AEC at odds with our needs for better and more efficient tools. In this article, we will introduce the only open source solution that aims to democratise 3D data for all and shift the power balance in our favour: Speckle.

WHAT DOES OPEN SOURCE MEAN?

Open Source refers to a specific way of developing and distributing software, where the source code (the underlying instructions that make up a program) is made freely available to the public. This means that anyone can view, modify, and distribute the code without any restrictions.

This approach encourages sharing, collaboration, and innovation, as it allows others to examine and improve the software, leading to better and more reliable products. Additionally, Open Source Software (OSS), such as Speckle, comes with a licence that ensures its continued availability as Open Source. This means it remains free and open for future generations to use and modify.

WHAT IS SPECKLE?

Speckle is the only Open Source Solution for 3D data connectivity, collaboration, and automation. Born from a three-year University College London (UCL) research project in “user-centric” digital design communication for the AEC industry, Speckle bridges the AEC gap, and what we (engineers, developers, designers, architects alike) are up against.

How? By offering an accessible, modern, and open solution that is delivering the following:

1. Multiplayer Connectivity: Speckle Connectors enable rich data exchange between various applications - such as Revit, Rhino, Grasshopper, and SketchUp - to easily connect people and disciplines. Speckle’s Connectors enable, via partial and full model exchange, a wide variety of workflows such as facade design, architecture and engineering models coordination, landscape architecture to BIM models, and more. Speckle can also drive business and project insights via Connectors for tools such as PowerBI and Excel.

2. Web Collaboration: The Speckle online 3D Viewer & App offers an easy-to-use interface where different disciplines can work together on models and designs. It allows for easier project management, feedback exchange, and coordination. No more effort is wasted sending screenshots or PDFs via email: you can simply share your updates and comments using a link and have fully documented online review sessions in your browser.

3. Apps & Automation: As an Open Source Solution, Speckle offers a variety of APIs and SDKs that allow you to create apps and workflows to deliver value at scale. Examples include data quality checks, costing estimators, and carbon calculators (LCAs) that work in realtime as you design. Speckle can also be hosted on any cloud provider (such as Microsoft Azure, GCP, AWS) and even on premise, ensuring maximal impact while giving you full ownership and control of your data.

In a nutshell, Speckle aims to empower AEC and anyone who uses 3D data to connect, collaborate and elevate project workflows, together. You can be part of this revolution by joining the Speckle community, an open forum where AEC lovers and hackers can share ideas and help each other with practical knowledge and tips.

Philosophy & Usage

To get started with Speckle, there are three easy steps:

Create a free account on Speckle.xyz

• Install Manager and choose the Connector of your choice

• Start collaborating with your colleagues!

WHO IS IT SUITED FOR?

Speckle is mainly targeting the AEC industry and rich 3D information consumers. It has also shown value in other verticals such as gaming (Blender, Unity, Unreal…), and the naval industry. Speckle has been widely adopted as a vendor-neutral vehicle to teach collaborative 3D, CAD, and BIM in various academic institutions as well.

Speckle’s early adopters include Architects, Interior Designers, Structural Engineers, 3D Artists, and Engineers who want to exchange models between different applications without losing time, effort, and data. In addition, Computational Designers have also found comfort in using Speckle as they are looking for better ways to collaborate and deliver projects faster. Similarly, AEC leaders, managers, and decision-makers see value in Speckle as it allows them to drive clear impact in their organisations by avoiding vendor lock-ins and saving money on licensing costs.

Finally, we see an increase of developers and startups who rely on Speckle as their core data infrastructure on top of which they can create their projects without wasting time and money. These business owners are also able to maximise their learning curve and growth through knowledge share, clear documentation, and strong community support.

What can it be used for?

Speckle has seen different applications across various user profiles and industries. From architecture to engineering and computational design, key use cases include:

• Innovations in Computation: Parametric design, generative design, optimisation, and Machine Learning.

• Open Access Data Management and Collaboration: Managing and integrating open access data in AEC projects to allow for better collaboration.

• Sustainable and Smart City Design: Datadriven energy management, intelligent transportation systems, and urban analytics. Gaiup is a great example of this, as they built a dashboard and RT-LCA tool using Speckle 3D Viewer and APIs.

• Collaborative Workflows and Project Management: Efficient and effective project workflows and management including project delivery methods, lean construction, and agile project management.

• Open Source Development and Community Building: Community-driven feature development and Open Source licensing are common use cases of Speckle (see TopSolid, Advance Steel).

• Academia: as a delivery platform for BIM and CAD course submissions and a pedagogical tool emphasising real-world AEC collaboration.

• Project presentation and stakeholder management: web visualisation based on Speckle’s 3D Viewer, its commenting capabilities, real-time feedback-sharing options and - it is even possible to embed Speckle 3D models into tools such as Notion and Powerpoint!

Conclusion

We strongly believe in Open Source empowering people and AEC. We are building Speckle to encourage stronger collaboration and coordination in an industry that is held back by existing solutions from harnessing the value of its data.

Speckle is not only unlocking data and workflows, but it is also unlocking new ways of working and collaborating in the AEC industry. By allowing for knowledge sharing and communication, key stakeholders are able to reach higher levels of productivity and efficiency in project design and build workflows.

Moving away from proprietary files and closed vendor clouds is getting us closer to revolutionising the AEC industry. You can learn more about what’s next with Speckle by joining our Community Forum at speckle.community - let’s build an open ecosystem together!

Senda Ben Abdallah currently occupies the role of Product Marketing Manager at Speckle. Her primary focus is to translate AEC technical capabilities into familiar and understandable messaging for Speckle’s key target audiences. Senda can be reached for comments or questions at: senda@ speckle.systems.

by: Rafael Testai